The Great Green Wall is an African-led initiative designed to combat desertification, climate change, and poverty across the Sahel region. This undertaking aims to restore degraded landscapes and improve livelihoods for millions. This article explores the initiative’s progress and effectiveness.
The Vision and Scope of the Great Green Wall
The Great Green Wall was launched in 2007 by the African Union, though its conceptualization dates to the 1980s. The original vision was an 8,000-kilometer living barrier of trees and plants stretching across Africa, from Senegal to Djibouti. This green belt was intended to halt the Sahara Desert’s southward expansion.
Beyond planting trees, the initiative’s goals encompass a broader approach to land restoration and sustainable development. It aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030. The project involves 11 countries in the Sahel region, a semi-arid belt vulnerable to land degradation and climate change.
Measuring Progress What Has Been Achieved
The Great Green Wall has achieved measurable physical progress across various countries. By 2020, approximately 18 million hectares of land had been restored within the broader Great Green Wall region, representing about 18% of the 100 million hectare target. This includes contributions from Ethiopia, which alone accounted for 12 million hectares by 2020, and Senegal, which has planted over 18 million drought-resistant trees and restored more than 254,000 hectares.
The initiative has also seen millions of trees planted, with Tree Aid reporting over 27 million trees grown. Progress is assessed at a country level, focusing on hectares restored, plants produced (over 293 million reported), and conservation efforts covering at least 1.13 million hectares of land and forests. While overall completion was estimated at 4% in strict intervention zones by 2020, wider regional restoration efforts show more substantial progress.
Environmental and Community Impacts
The Great Green Wall’s implementation has led to tangible environmental improvements. Restored lands show increased carbon sequestration potential, with projections indicating the initiative could sequester up to 313 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030. This contributes to mitigating climate change by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Beyond carbon, the project improves soil fertility, enhances water retention, and increases biodiversity, leading to the return of various plant and wildlife species. These ecological improvements complement socio-economic benefits for local communities. The initiative has created over 350,000 jobs, primarily in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and land management, generating approximately $90 million in revenues. Communities experience enhanced food security through improved crop yields and access to resources, and the project aims to reduce forced migration by providing sustainable livelihoods.
Nuances and Complexities of Implementation
The Great Green Wall’s progress is not uniform across all participating regions, reflecting the project’s adaptive nature. It has evolved from an initial concept of a continuous tree barrier into a mosaic of diverse land restoration and sustainable development projects. This approach allows tailoring solutions to specific local ecological conditions and community needs.
Success varies among countries due to factors including local community engagement, governance structures, and funding availability. Political instability and conflicts in some regions also present significant hurdles. The initiative continuously learns from these challenges, integrating traditional land management techniques with modern conservation science to ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness.